Underslung tire carrier



June 3, 1930. l.. M. SPENCER 1,761,941

UNDERSLUNG TIRE CARRIER Filed OGL 26. 1927 Patented June 3, 1930 icmsbsws AIATfE-l- QFFCE Tours M. SPENCER, O1*y `DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIeNoR To GENERAL MOTORS cORroRA- l TIoN, OR nETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE v IINDERSLUNG TIRE cARR'IRRl i VApplication led 0ctober26, 1927. SerialNo. 228,829.

- 4This invention relates to motor vehicles,

and more particularly to spare tire carriers, for. usewith vehicles wherein the chassis frameextends for a short distance beyond the rear aille, leaving ample-clearance above the ground for the convenient mounting ofv an Aextra tire under the frame.

One ofthe primary objects'of the invention is toy provide an improved .tire 'carrier of simplified construction, involving the use Vof ya fewV sturdyparts,which will be economical Vinvproduction'and which may be readily applied to existing vehicles or employed as reg- ',ular factory; equipment, without necessitating change in chassis frame design. Y

A ,furtherY object Of the invention is to provide a carrier whichY will securely hold a spare tire against displacement and permit the tire to be mountedor removed, without requiring the use of tools and upon a single adjustment, Awith utmostease'and aminimum expenditure ofy manual effort.v t

v .A further object of the invention is to provide. acdevice by which the tire will be car- ,.ried'suiii'ciently high above the ground, as to Vleave ample road clearance to avoid damage to the' tir'ef by obstacles" in the road.

1"; @ther incidental objects, and advantages willbe apparent from the following speciication, taken; withthev accompanying draw- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional viewof the presentinvention; f

j "Fig.,2 is atop plan view and Fig. 3 is aI fragmentary rear elevation of .ithejstructureshown iny Fig. 1.

Referring-to the preferred embodiment of the inventioni-as' illustrated in the drawing,

thecharacters 1,-1` indicate a pair of longitudinal' channel-shaped members or side sills l of the vehicle chassis framefand 2 isa transverse cross member connecting the ends of the side-members, the members being braced with each other at the corners by reinforcement plates 3--3. Suspended below the chassis `v`frame is a `:Uv-shaped bar Aor strap having its .upwardlyproJecting side arms 4-4 securely-fastened, asbyrivets or bolts 5, `to the chasof horizontally disposed tire rim is engageywheel on the screw threadedl stem effects a `onin a substantially horizontal position. In

the drawing, there is shown a tire casing 7 carried b a rim 8 on the disc wheel 9, illustratingt e`use fof the'carrier on vehicles equippedlwith demountable disc wheels. It

nis to 'be understood, however, that the carrier may be employed to mount the spare tire rim alone, or a rim carrylng a solid or a pneumatictire, either inflated or deflated. Lo-

cated forwardly of the U-shaped supporting strap and carried on the under side of the frame by the transverse member 10, are a pair, of dependent tire engaging brackets 11-11, `each having af curved foot l2 at its lower end to provide a seat on the undersurface'of the bracket, in which the top side able. To the rear of the supporting strap, and also engageable with the upper side of the tire rim is a lug 13 carried ,by an adjustable hand wheelor ring` nut 14, screw threaded on the stem r15, the bifurcated head 16 of which is pivoted for sidewise swinging move- Ament to a bracket ear 17, ixedly secured to the bottom flange of the cross member at the center thereof. Adjustment of the hand downward clamping pressure on the tire rim to rock the tire on the bottom strap 6 into firm engagement with the brackets 11, which are so positionedv on the member` as to engage portions of the rim spaced 'approximately ninety degrees apart, and thuslocate the tire in proper position on the strapA and thereafter -hold itagainst shifting movement.

The relation of the parts is such that the cross portion 6 of the weight supporting strap engages theunder side vofthe tire just forward its center of gravity. It will be apparent, therefore, that the -weight of that portion ofthe tire to the rear of the strapwill exceed that forward the supporting strap and the tire will have a natural tendency under gravity pull to tip or rock on the strap into engagement with the brackets 11. As a result, the mounting or removal yof a tire is a simple and easy task. The mounting may be effected by rolling the tire to the rear of the vehicle and allowing it to rest against the rear edge of the strap 6, after which the bottom can be lifted and the tire shoved or slid forward on the strap, until vthe rim GanbeV downwardfelampingpnessureienfthe-top side seatedagainst the-under side ofthe'braekets l1, when the weight of the tire to the rear of the Strap Will maintain the tire in such position. 'Thereafter it is *only necessary to adjust the hand wheel to VILAeffect a'downward clamping pressure on the tireandseeurely Y hold it against displacement. Obviously the' .ed claims;

reversal of the the tire. Y f Y While the above desoriptionhasbeen more Procedure Permits Yrelronlv of,

or less specic as to structure, it is to beunderstood that the invention isnot limited to exact details and that such modifications may be made as come Within the scope of append- 1."The combination with a chassis frame, of means toearry aispare tire in substantially horizontal positionbeneaththe frame, includ- Y in'gia tire supporting strap suspended from the frame andl engageablewith the underside of the tire, and tir-@engagingmembersassociated with" the underside of the' -fr-'ameon either side ofsaid strap for engagement with the upper side of the tire,:one of said members Y beingladjustable to effect-a clamping action pend-ed from the frame, afloefating member on the framespaced forwardly of saidstrap for engagement .with the upper por-tion of said --rim and an 'adjustable lug carriedl` by the frame rearwardly ofsaid strap for engageyment with the'fuppery portion ofs'aid rim to iirmlyhold the-rim in position.

3. The combination with a 'chassis frame,

' of means to carry a spare tire insubstantially horizontal position beneath the frame, ineludng a supporting member secured to the frame adapted to have v a tire rested thereon and to support'the ytire onaV line forming ay fulerum 'airis spaced fromthecenter of.' gravity of the tire, and tire eng-aging means associatedjwith the frame, for engagement with the* upper side of the tire to form a stop-'against the tendency of the tire to tip on said supporting member, underinfluencev of gravity and-.ad-

just-able means to firmly hold the ytire iny enu gagement with said tire eng-aging means. Y

'4; The combination 'with a chassis frame, of means to carry a spare t-ire ijn substantially horizontal positionu beneathl the frame; in-

- c-ludinga U'f-shaped str-ap suspended byfand -`YVextending belowthe frame,l and ybeing adapted fiXedme'mberf f frame forwardly of said stra and against which the upper side of the t1re engages by reason of its tendency to tip on said strap under gravity influence and means to exert of. the tirelte the-rear efsaidstrap dnfixedly holding the tire in position.

The ACombinati n Wth e vof meanstqear "Lspa'" Vlti 'substantially 'horizont-alposit'ion'beneath said frame, in- ,eludingr ale-fixed tire engaging member on the chassis 1.trarne -evff1lntfWthifheillppergzwside of the tire anda supporting member suspended from` the of thefpa-rts being such that the weight of the tireto one side of the'support isgreater than that Eon the other, whereby the lightery kside f Y ess tends to'tip upward into abutment with "said 15 vundeiside'of"the frame adapted "for engage-l e v, se frame uponwhich-thetire-rests; the relation y;

6.y A spare tirelearrierffor earry-ingaltire Y in a isubstantiallyzhorizontal position, ineludf'ing an limmovable tire-y supporting member vengageable withlthe under sideof the tirezvanfg'rgo t 2 immovable locating' element f'engageable with the upper side'iof 'fthe tire andllocatedi-to one side ofthe supporting memberandamovable elel'nentengageable with the uppersidelof the tire andzloeated tothe opposite'side ofthe fi ff-ment to rook 'thef'tire' on thesupporting mem f berf and into or *out of: rm engagement with the said immovablelocatinglelement.'

-tially horizontal position Iincluding-tire` en,- gaginfr members, one of whioh 'is engageable with t Ae undersideof the tire to forma rocking abutment therefor' and the others of which are engageable with the .oppositefside*oftheiost 7. Meansto.;earryfaspare tine-in a-*substan-evloo .tire at pointsf'forwardand rearward ofthe n first mentionedinemberto locate the -tireQ'ina o pre-determined denite position, lone of the wmembers beingfadju'stable and 'adapted 'its adjustment 'to 'roekthetire about :its roekingafiinq' abutment into or out of'firm fl'thefother members. I

lVIe'ansto earryfa'y sparey tire ina sub- Y stantially horizontal position including? a'tire engagement engaging member adapted for engagement i with, one side of thetirelandto forma-ful- 'eruming=-fabutment l therefor-, and! a pair `of tire engaging members for'abutment withy the opposite side of the tire and at .spacedapart fulernming rabutment,`- and l means to move oneof the last mentioned members-into con- `taet with Athe" tire 1 to roel;V the `tire about its fulorumingabutment landinto firm Contact with u-thef other4 ofl said lastinentionedf 9: Meanstofearry'afsparetireiin :'asubstan-V tially yhorizontal position ,beneath vthe ehassis frame of 5 a motor `vehiele,A fine-ludingf a U,-

points llolejated forwardA 'and rearward 5of the 5120 95 f I jfsupporting Vmember and adapteditslmove-j the frame in spaced relation therewith and adapted for engagement with the under side of a tire inserted inthe space between the tire and the frame, locating members associated with the under side of the frame for engagement with the upper side of the tire on either side ofthe supporting member, and means to move one of said members relative `to the others to hold the tire in firm engagef ment with each member.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

LOUIS M. SPENCER. 

